Road Trip
by vahanian
Summary: *Book 6 spoilers* Damon sets out to find someone who can help him with his new condition whilst taking Elena and others with him. Please r&r. Damon and Elena fanfic.
1. Chapter 1

The sun shone weakly from the east through the clear wood and made Elena Gilbert's golden hair glow like a halo. She stood on the widow's walk above Stefan's bedroom , which held so many memories, and surveyed the scenery it had been quiet or such a long time that when the disjointed sound of people arguing started she jumped a little. Moving closer to the stairwell she could pick up some words of what was clearly Damon and Stefan arguing again.

"… You can't stop me!"

"Yes I can and you know it."

"Get your hand off me before I break it off!"

As the last threat was murmured by Damon, Elena thought it would be best to go down and break it up. She gathered her silk gown tight around her and with a gentle sigh slowly walked down the steps. What she saw when she reached the bottom did not surprise her.

Stefan stood in front of Damon with a casual hand placed on his shoulder clearly in restraint and Damon with his hands balled up into fists and a steely gaze in his eyes. Damon was the first to spot her and immediately the tension in his body melted away as he sneered, "You can't keep her away from me, we'll always find each other."

Stefan rolled his eyes and Elena purposefully put herself between the brothers and pushed them apart. Despite Damon being significantly weaker than he used to be he was still the hardest to push away. 'Stubborn to the end' Elena thought as her hand unconsciously lingered over Damon's chest. She drew her hand back and her eyes whipped to Stefan's as Damon said, "She has the right to make her own decision." Stefan turned away conceding the point and Elena caught Damon's eyes instead. With the arrogance still pouring off him from winning the word battle with his brother, he started talking to Elena.

"Sage and I are going to meet a person who we think is going to be able to sort out everyone's problems, including my little brother." Elena stared at him and demanded,

"You know a good Kitsune who lives near Fells Church?" Damon gave his 240 kilowatt smile then instantly turned it off and explained, "Of course not my darling, good Kitsune are rare. We are going to see a very powerful witch who wants nothing to do with us." He gave her a look which said that this should be obvious to her and she gave an exasperated sigh. With her hands over her eyes she whispered, "Why do you want me to go?" The next thing she felt were incredibly soft human hands gently prying her fingers from her face and tilting her head up to look into brilliant, black eyes. In the most earnest voice she had ever heard, Damon whispered back, "Because I love you and I want you to go with me." Elena was stunned into silence and she was glad that Damon couldn't hear her heart pounding against her chest. She knew that Stefan could hear but she just couldn't turn away. She felt like she was sinking in quick sand until she heard the word, "Please?" come through his beautiful lips and then she had gone under. Their heads were getting closer and closer together when the sound of a door quietly closing echoed through the room. She leaned sideways out of Damon's warm arms, which had gently wound their way around Elena, to notice that Stefan had left the room.

Her heart plummeted as she realised what Stefan had seen. Since they had come back from the dark dimension she had spent all her time with Stefan and so he hadn't seen how close Elena and Damon had gotten in their time alone together. She had to remember how painful it must be for Stefan that Damon accidentally smelled the flower meant to make Stefan a human. It felt as if her soul were tearing apart with guilt.

Another whisper in her ear brought her back to the human guy in her arms who had a questioning look in his eyes and a slightly smug smile on his lips. She felt her breath get taken away as he murmured the question, "Well?" She looked down trying to regain her composure but she had known what her answer would be for a while. All she could say was, "I'll go."

That was when Stefan came bursting in before the thank you could get any further than Damon's lips. He pinned Damon to the wall, not caring that Elena's arms were still around him, and put his face right next to his brothers. The snarl that came from him was low and dangerous and a sound that Elena had never heard before. His voice was low as he said, "I am coming too." It was a statement and not a question and as Damon's natural response would be to grind his little brother into the dust, the tension in the room reached a record high. Trying to be light hearted Elena sighed, "I guess we're all going on a road trip."


	2. Chapter 2

By the way this is not Vahanian writing this, its the sister!

Elena sat in the back of some kind of Mercedes, focusing intently on the back of the headrest. The last hour had passed in a blur which had started with Damon making feelings arise in her that she hadn't felt for her since they found Stefan. Then she hurriedly had to pack everything she would need whilst trying to say goodbye to her two best friends and her ex-boyfriend. Tears threatened to pour as she thought back to the goodbye.

Bonnie rushed at Elena when she announced that she would be going with Damon and very uncharacteristically, Meredith did the same. Matt stood in the corner, shuffling his feet and looking anywhere but at the group hug in the middle of the room. When they let go Matt made his way forward nervously and was surprised when a cool pair of arms wrapped around him confidently. It wasn't awkward, just two friends saying goodbye and when they pulled away both of them had a comfortable if not slightly sad smile on their faces.

"Why do you have to go without us?"

Bonnie asked through tear filled eyes. Starting to mist up as well Elena responded, "Because this could be dangerous and besides we need you guys to look after Fells church."

Bonnie dropped her head resignedly and Meredith put her arm around her shoulders and said with a positive smile on her face,

"We understand, you go and help your guys"

Elena felt extremely grateful that Meredith was so supportive and capable and it gave her comfort as the last bag was packed into the car and they drove away from the boarding house.

The first hour of the car ride was spent in silence. Stefan was sat next to Elena and immediately took her hand after getting into the car but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't stop looking at the side of Damon`s head as he drove the car. Every now and again her thoughts wandered back to what had happened with Damon and the strength of her feelings shocked her.

She was dragged out of her thoughts by a scraping on the roof. Sage opened his window and a purposeful looking Talon clawed onto his arm. As blood started to well from where the bird sat, the vampire and the animal started to communicate in away that Elena had never understood.

"Nobody followed us from Fells Church and there is no immediate danger,"

Sage announced whilst Talon, satisfied that he had given a good report flew back out the window.

After this the silence continued and it seemed they were in for a quiet ride when a low but very loud grumble filled the air. The car squealed to a halt and the three men in the car looked around as if they expected to see some sort of monster pop up. During these tense few seconds Elena realised what had happened and started to laugh. They all looked at her. She continued to laugh and said,

"Damon, are you hungry by any chance?"

Damon looked confused but Sage and Stefan finally comprehended what the deep growl had been.

"Yes but…"

he trailed off. Elena felt a strong desire to smooth the creases on his forehead with her hand but stopped herself when she realised how inappropriate that would be. She had to remind herself that Stefan was her boyfriend. During this inner turmoil Damon finally understood and as cars were building up behind them he started driving again whilst saying,

"I guess I'll find a diner to stop off at."

Elena really felt for Damon as it had only been two days since he had become human and Bonnie had made sure he had eaten when necessary. A five hundred year habit was hard to break. Now he seemed vulnerable and Elena felt the need to protect him. A need she found difficult to squash.

Ten minutes later they were pulling into a roadside diner which looked slightly shabby and has two old trucks parked outside. It was nearly empty inside but it was clean so they all sat down at a highly polished, blue, plastic table. Then a highly bored looking waitress came to take there order Damon ordered almost everything on the menu with a smile. Elena was looking at the menu when Damon took it and handed it to the waitress. With another smile that seemed to tell her she was missing the obvious he explained,

"I already ordered for you, I know what you like."

The waitress left and Elena was so shocked she could only murmur a 'thank you'.

Upon seeing Elena's expression, Damon quickly turned away in almost a perfect imitation of his now lost vampire grace and Stefan rolled his eyes. To try to lighten the mood a bit, Elena asked a question that had been on her mind for a while,

"So Damon, tell me more about this witch we're going to see."

Damon looked surprised at the way the conversation had turned but sensing the hostility coming from Stefan gladly responded,

"There's not much to know but one thing I should warn you about is her constant tendency towards violence."

Having recently been told that this witch worked white magic this was not the description she had been imagining. She felt she had to ask,

"How violent?"

"Well do you remember Bloddeuwedd from the dark dimension?"

"How could I forget?"

"Well this witch is one hundred times worse that her."

The fear must have been so evident on Elena's face that Damon felt compelled to add,

"She is only violent towards vampires or other evil creatures, that is why we needed you to come along. You're a strong, white magic being and the one with the best chance of getting her to fix us."

Stefan scoffed half way through this little speech but other than that gave no sign to show he was listening

Elena was given time to let this all sink in as the food had just arrived. She started to pick at it with the accompanying white plastic cutlery whilst Stefan and Sage started talking about practical plans for getting to California. Elena had not known that this witch had lived in California and now tried to digest the new act that they were still a long way from there destination. As the three others started discussing plans for where they would be staying that night, Elena's thoughts wandered and she started to see imaginary giant owls swooping down from the sky determined to slice her apart. She was not looking forward to meeting this woman.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters

A/N: I have had major writers block and I don't know where I'm going to take the

story so please review with your opinions of what I should do next

Tragic thoughts continued to follow Elena as they left the diner and through the 8 hours of car ride until nightfall. The three men busied themselves with talk of everything they knew about this witch and witches in general. Every now and again Elena would be pulled out of her thoughts as something interesting in the conversation caught her attention. One moment like this was two hours into the journey when Sage started talking about her specialties.

She dragged her eyes away from the car window, which was now showing lush green hills, and noticed that she was holding hands with Stefan. She tried to recall how this had happened and remembered that he had been holding her hand everywhere she went. She wondered if he was doing this out of love but had the distinct impression that he was doing it to prove a point to Damon.

"So I have heard about one power that she's got which may be a problem for the evil ones in the car. She's able to do a little bit of what Elena can do. With one touch she can make you sorry for every evil you have ever done but, unlike Elena, she doesn't have the power to heal you from it as Elena did for Damon." Sage explained. The silence that followed this was very thick as every one was thinking of their past evils. Elena's thoughts however were far from there and she voiced them with reluctance.

"You think I will be able to heal anyone who gets touched." It was a statement not a question. Sage looked like he was about to admit that, that was what thy hoped she would be able to do when Damon said,

"We know that you have the power to do it but we will try not to get touched so that you don't have to use your powers."

She allowed a slightly relieved look to come on her face and when she looked in the mirror she could she Damon smiling a little at her reaction. It was then that the first drop of rain hit the windscreen.

About four hours later and with Sage at the wheel they had to give in to the fact that the conditions were to bad to drive in, even with vampire senses. They pulled into the nearest motel they could find which was still two hours away from the hotel where they had planned to spend the night. Though it was only a fifty yard dash from the car to the reception by the time they pushed opened the shiny, red door and stepped into the brightly lit room they were soaked through. Damon walked towards the little man behind a plastic desk and said,

"Four rooms please."

The man snorted before finally looking away from the fuzzy TV in the corner of the room and taking in his new guests. Looking at Damon he said in a more polite voice,

"Sorry but I only have one room left, this storm is a big one and this is the only motel for one hundred miles in any direction."

"We'll take it and any food you've got." Damon said whilst throwing a few bills down on the counter. Elena could see the top one was a fifty and the man quickly took it and counted it. He shoved it in his pocket before taking the last key off a board of hooks and walking out the side door making a following motion with his hand.

They followed him down a corridor with lots more shiny red doors and a floor wet from where lots of other people had been walking. He finally came to a door with the numbers 31 on it and opened it up. He gave the key to Damon and walked away swiftly. They filed into the room and the first noticeable thing was that there was a king sized bed and not much floor space. There was a small bathroom through a door on the left and when they closed the doors there was barely enough room for all of them.

Sage taking control of the situation said with authority and a smile,

"Humans share the bed and vampires, well I` sure we'll find somewhere."

Stefan looked at him as though he were insane then glared for a few seconds before finally snarling,

"She is not sharing a bed with him."

He sneered both of their names and Elena had a hurt look on her face. Damon opened his mouth no doubt to insult Stefan in some way for what he just said when Sage cut across them all.

"Stefan it's a big bed they won't even have to touch each other and besides we have to go find something to eat unless you feel like snacking on Damon?"

Damon's face made it clear it was not an option so Sage continued,

"And I don't think Elena is much in the mood to do anything that involves you." he concluded casting a look at her and she still had a hurt expression.

Without another word Stefan stormed out the door and Sage followed slowly talking over his shoulder,

"Make sure to eat and get some sleep,"

He closed the door with a quiet click and Elena stared at it for a while as she didn't want to look at Damon. She was sure he would be thinking of the night in Stefan's room as much as she was. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and she turned around and was staring into those black eyes. He pulled a strand of her off her face and tenderly tucked it behind her ear. He whispered,

"I'll go get your bag from the car, your soaking."

He wiped a drop of water off her cheek as if to prove his point and then walked out the door. She took a deep breathe and sat down on the edge of the bed with her hands on her face. She took a few deep breaths and before she knew it Damon was back. Still feeling a variety of emotions she quickly rummaged through her suitcase and after finding PJ`s and a toothbrush she retreated into the tiny bathroom. The bathroom was also brightly lit and the shower seemed good so she drowned the days fears in the steamy water.

She came out to see Damon sat on the bed on the side closest to the door, reading a book. She took out her own diary and started to write. Making sure that Damon couldn't read over her shoulder she wrote a quick entry.

_Dear Diary, today has been a truly extraordinary day as we have just started out on a hard journey. I can't write too much as Damon has a tendency to read my diary but lets just say that things are starting to change with the way I am looking at people._

She closed the book and put it away then stood nervously by the side of the bed. Damon put his book on the side then said,

"I don't bite, not anymore anyway."

"I'm sure that's not true but how is this going to work?"

"You get in that side, I stay on this side and we go to sleep." he said honestly although the look on his face said he might not be able to keep to his own instruction. Elena gave a deep sigh and climbed into the bed. Damon kicked off his shoes and slipped off his leather jacket but other than that got under the covers fully dressed. Elena thought she would rather be facing him than have her back turned but as he clicked the bedside lamp off she soon realised this was a big mistake. She felt the energy crackling through the foot of space between them. She felt as if she wanted to hold him but she restrained herself and tried to focus on sleep. She eventually fell into a deep sleep and felt more comfortable then she had in a long time.

The next morning she woke up when the first light filtered through the thin curtains and realised she was the first to wake up with the two vampires sleeping soundly on the floor and sofa. She also realised that she had been sleeping in Damon's and once again felt surprised at how much she enjoyed the closeness.

Before she could even think about untangling herself from him, Stefan's eyes slowly opened and took in the scene on the bed. Elena saw pain flit through his eyes and then it was immediately replaced by anger. Using his vampire speed he was out of bed and out of the door in a second.

After this little show Damon and Sage woke up and Sage seemed to find nothing unusual about the humans embrace and even smiled a little until he noticed Stefan's empty sofa and began to frown. Looking up into Damon's eyes she saw a light shine in his eyes which made her think he hadn't put his arms around her in attempt to annoy Stefan. Sage seemed to notice this and Elena realised that this was going to be a very long day.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Special thanks to Pacem and Katherineelena for there reviews, without them I wouldn't have had any idea how to continue the story. Thanks also to everyone who reviewed.**

After Stefan left the room Elena got dressed in silence. She left the room and as she closed the door behind her she looked into the same green eyes she had stared into a hundred times before. She was however not used to the steely look in them and shrunk back against the door. Stefan looked away then asked,

"I've put up with a lot from Damon. He's evil and he is just trying to play with you."

Elena was a little shocked at his attitude and after taking a moment she replied,

"Damon isn't evil anymore, he's just human and he is being a lot nicer than you at the moment. I still love you but did you ever consider that your constant anger is driving us together?"

Stefan slammed his hand against the door near Elena's head and growled in a dangerously low voice, "After everything he's done to me and you, you want to be with him?" completely ignoring the part where she said she loved him.

Elena had now pressed herself as close to the door as she could and summoning up all her courage simply nodded her head. Stefan's face turned into a mask of fury and Elena felt fear well up in her before the door opened and she fell back into gentle, leather clad arms. As she looked up she saw the anger in Damon and suddenly the fear was a hundred times worse but it wasn't fear for herself but for the Salvatore brothers. She wasn't surprised to find that her fear was greatest for Damon. He moved Elena behind him and stood in front of her protectively. When she realised they were about to fight that is when her fear reached a record high and she suddenly felt like she had exploded.

Damon and Stefan were pushed across the hallway and pinned to the wall be what felt like warm restraints. They both looked up into the eyes of a very literal angel. Elena was floating 2 feet off the ground with perfectly white wings spread out behind her. She was also faintly glowing. She felt almost like the power was controlling her and had made no conscious decision to speak when a beautifully pure voice said,

"I have the power of millions, please don't fight over me," she realised that it had been her speaking a second before she fell to the floor and faded into unconsciousness.

When she finally became conscious again she was in the car and her head was resting against Sage's shoulder. Slightly dazed and confused she moves away and lays her head back on the headrest and contemplates how she got such a massive headache. As the details come swarming back Sage joked,

"Thank goodness your awake I thought you were going to start drooling on me." He pretended to wipe drool off his sleeve and Elena gave a small laugh. She then noticed the tension between the brothers sat in the front of the car and realised why it was Sage sat next to her. They would probably had a fight over who sat next to her. After another twenty minutes and a few more attempts by Sage to make a joke she finally decided to go back to sleep. Her head once again slumped onto Sage's shoulder and she quickly fell asleep.

She woke up again when it was night time and the car pulled up outside a quiet little bed and breakfast. They had the similar one room situation but on the bright side there was room service which the humans quickly ordered. They hadn't stopped all day so that they could make it to this place by the night.

As soon as Stefan realised that Elena and Damon were to share a bed he walked straight out. Once again Sage followed him out with an apologetic look on his face. Elena sat on the bed and ran her hands through her hair and let out a big sigh. Damon sat down next to her and put a reassuring hand on her back as she said, "Why does he keep acting like that?"

"I think he's jealous. I would be jealous as well if he were in my situation." Elena looked at him completely shocked, then she asked, "Do you mean you are glad you are human?" he looked deep into her eyes and it was like she could read his mind. He paused for a few moments then whispered, "That's not what I was talking about but there are definitely more good sides to being human than I first imagined."

"Like what?" He looked at her as if to say the answer was obvious and then she realised he was talking about her. She looked down and he put his finger under her chin and lifted her head very gently. It felt as if they were looking at each there for years just drinking in each others features. He finally put his mouth to her ear and murmured, "It wouldn't be a tragedy if the witch said no," then he rested his head on her shoulder and they shared an unusual embrace. Again it could have been years and they reluctantly broke apart when the door opened. They looked over just in time to see a shocked Stefan and then he whirled around saying, "I'll sleep in the car tonight," nearly knocking over Sage in his attempt to get out. Sage shrugged, climbed onto the sofa and immediately fell asleep. Trying to forget about the moment her and Damon just shared and failing she got ready for bed.

She took out her diary and this time Damon did not even attempt to read over her shoulder. She gathered her thoughts and started to write down everything she wished she could say to Damon.

_Dear Diary, What I am feeling is impossible. If when I first met the Salvatore brothers someone had told me that it was Damon that I would fall for, I would have laughed at them but now…_

_Stefan is pushing me away and I told him that's what he was doing but he doesn't seem to care. He is still pushing me into the arms of his older brother. Not that I mind._

_I had to stop them fighting today and I used my powers! The trigger was fear. I was so afraid that Stefan might hurt Damon and then I felt I had full access to my powers. I don't think I'll let anyone down now when we go to meet the witch as I should be afraid enough to heal anyone who needs it. I hope._

Damon's POV

I thought it was best if I didn't even sit near Elena when she wrote in her diary as I knew how important it was for her to confide in it completely. When she finally closed it and turned off the light a sense of nervousness came over me. She had fought for me today and said she wanted me over Stefan. It made me feel like whooping but the thought that things had definitely changed came into my brain as she pulled the covers over her.

Ever since I had become human I had lost the power to flip a switch and turn off my emotions. Sometimes it makes me think things that a girl would think but it also means I get the good emotions too. I thought I was in love with Elena before but as a vampire you can't know love like a human. I love her even more know then I thought possible. See what I said sometimes I think things a girl would think but I guess that's part of being human.

I still feel anger as well like when Stefan was scaring Elena I wish it was in my power to make him hurt but I will just have to settle for protecting Elena and being there for her when my stupid brother can't. At least Elena likes me more now that I'm human.

As I was thinking all these things I hadn't realised that Elena had fallen asleep and had turned around. I stared at her beautiful face for a while and then she reached out for me. I couldn't help myself and I pulled her into my arms and felt the warmth of her skin on mine. She rested her head on my chest and let out a sigh of contentment. I fell asleep a happy man.

The next few days continued in much the same way with them stopping to go to diner's and motels but always in out of the way places. Sage explained that this was to keep anybody unfriendly from following them. Eventually they realised that the demand for clothes for Elena was high as she had been in a rush and not packed very much. As they were still a week from California they decided to stop off at a small mall on the outskirts of a little town. As they entered a little second hand clothes shop Elena started to feel relieved as she had hardly any clothes and the shop was filled with cheap items.

She started to quickly buy the necessities however when she paused to deliberate over a lime green tank top, Damon sneaked up behind her. He put some brown leather cowgirl boots in front of her face and whispered in her ear, "How `bout it cowgirl there only a dollar." She spun around in a panic then realised what had happened gave a small chuckle and said, "They look great and there your size. I'll pay." She wafted a dollar note in front of his face and he took it and used it to pay for the boots with a sly smile on his face. She full out laughed at that and deciding to get the tank top proceeded to pay. As the items were being scanned she thought, _he never used to be so light and joking when he was a vampire. _This was definitely a side she was drawn to.

She continued theses thoughts as they walked to the food court and she ordered a salad. When the food came she came back to the real world to see Damon dipping his freshly salted fries into a strawberry milkshake. She wrinkled her nose and said, "Damon that is totally unhealthy not to mention disgusting." he looked up at her with an incredulous expression and then said, "This is the most amazing thing in the world, you can't say you never tried it?"

"No of course not."

"Well after today you won't be able to say that any more." He picked a fresh fry and dipped it in before holding it out for her to try. With the encouraging expression on his face she hesitated only a second before taking a big bite. Before she had finished chewing he asked, "Well?"

"Its actually really good."

"Well then I don't mind sharing," he said pushing the milkshake and fries in between them. "Thanks." she said taking a fry and liberally coating it with pink goodness. She then heard a chair scraping and turned to see Stefan leave once again. Watching his retreating form and remembering how many times she had seen it over the past few days made her realise she had made her choice. Looking back into Damon `s eyes she determined that she would make her move tonight.

**A/N: I hoped you like the part from Damon's POV, as I wanted to show that he really has changed and is in love with Elena. Also I added in the Milkshake and fries part because I think it's the best food ever. What do you think? Please R&R**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry its been such a while since I last updated but I recently started school, (Sixth Form for any UK readers) and its been a bit hectic. Here's the next chapter, enjoy! **

That night they decided they would stay at a fancy hotel near the shopping centre they had recently visited. Damon with the help of a shiny gold credit card that did not have his name on it was able to get 4 king size rooms right next door to each other. They decided they would eat in the expensive looking restaurant on the ground floor.

Elena found her room and walked into a huge room with an enormous bed and a small separate living area with sofa and flat screen. When she peaked her head around a highly polished door she found a massive en-suite with a Jacuzzi. She then started to change her clothes for dinner and decided to take a quick shower. She was ready fairly quickly and at the allotted time left her suite. As she closed the door behind her she realised Damon had the suite to her right and was leaving at the same moment. He looked up at her and smiled. He walked over and offered her his arm and said, "Shall we?" Elena nodded and took his arm whilst feeling little shots of electricity in her stomach because of the casual contact.

She couldn't help but notice, as they walked to the elevator that he looked very handsome in black trousers and a white dress shirt. Once in the restaurant they ate their food with a little small talk but there was an uncomfortable air around the table because of Stefan's anger. The meal was once again paid for by a gold credit card in the name of a Mr B Jones and then the humans walked back upstairs as the vampires looked to be fed in a different way.

Damon was the perfect gentleman and walked Elena to her door and, after kissing her on the back of the hand, wished her goodnight. She opened the door to her room before turning back and calling, "Damon?" he looked back at her with a smile and said, "Yes?"

"Will you come back here a moment?" he nodded his head and came and stood a foot away from her. She moved forward slowly not breaking eye contact with him and reached up and put her hands around the back of his head. He had a confused look on his face and began to say, "Elena what are you…" before he was cut off by a finger on his lips. Then suddenly the finger was replaced by a soft set of lips.

Damon's POV

I felt her hands slide around the back of my head pulling me down and I tried to protest thinking she may have had one too many wines with dinner. She stopped my words and soon I felt those soft lips and all thoughts of resistance fled from my mind. She pulled me into the bedroom through the open door and I kicked it closed behind us. Wrapping ourselves in an even tighter embrace the sparks between us were almost visible and she started to undo the buttons of my shirts. I cared about her to much to just take advantage so I, with great difficulty, broke the kiss and panted, "Are you sure about this?" I wasn't sure what answer would be good enough to convince me I wouldn't be taking advantage. She said, "As sure as I have ever been about anything." and I saw the love in her eyes as she said that my heart leapt and I couldn't control myself anymore. Our lips met once again and then she led me over to the bed.

Sage's POV

When Damon and Elena left, I looked over at Stefan and I saw a broken man. This is the side of him that he hasn't allowed them to see. I asked him,

"Do you want to go hunting now?"

"No I think I'll go on my own later." and then he walked out of the front doors of the building. I feel sorry for him but he pushed Elena away and I can't deny that Elena is happier with Damon.

I walked out into the darkness then and tried to find some big wildlife in the neighbouring woodland. I undid the top button of my blood red dress shirt and rolled up my sleeves before chasing after my quarry. After finally catching up to it and starting to feed I started to think about the merits of Stefan's lifestyle. After burying the carcass in the undergrowth I still couldn't think of any other than its makes Stefan less angry. With that thought I went back to my room which was on the other side of Elena's room and start to hear some rather questionable noises. _'Good for them' _was my last thought before falling asleep.

Stefan's POV

After dinner I left everyone and went out the front door. I wasn't hungry because the thought of Elena and Damon getting on so well was like a stake through my heart. I've spent the last five hundred years trying to avoid Damon because every time he came into my life he would destroy everything I hold dear just for fun. I couldn't stand it if he was just messing with Elena.

I carried on walking through the darkness near the woodland and I could hear the faint sounds of Sage hunting. I cast everything from my mind and focused my thoughts on Elena. That had started to become a painful process lately as I would constantly think of how I pushed her away. It just hurt so much to see her falling for Damon's tricks. As I saw the dark shape of Sage returning to the Hotel I made a snap decision. I walked over to the wall of the Hotel in a darkened area.

As soon as nobody was watching I quickly and easily hoisted myself up the wall made of red brick. I heaved myself over the balcony on to what I was sure was Elena's room but when I looked in the window I realised I was wrong as Damon was led on the bed shirtless. I started to move when I saw the shimmer of that golden hair that I love so much. I stood frozen in the shadows and when Damon shifted his position on the bed her beautiful face came into clear view. It didn't take an idiot to figure out what they were doing and I smoothly slid over the balcony railing with my heart breaking into a million pieces.

I easily moved over to the balcony of the next room and thinking it to be Damon's empty room I allowed myself to slump to the floor with a slightly muted thud. I put my face in my hands and a second later I heard the balcony door open with a soft click. I looked up to see Sage still in his diner clothes but with hair slightly messed up from sleep. He helped me up and we sat in the rooms living area. After a few seconds I pulled myself together and said, "I'm sorry, you weren't expecting me and I surprised you." indicating his ruffled hair and clothes.

"Well I can hear the noises from the other room so when I heard the thud I didn't think it was Santa Clause." he attempted at a joke but I just couldn't smile. He continued, "I expected you to turn up sooner or later so I was just passing the time till you came." He pointed at his recently vacated bed.

I once again put my face in my hands and Sage came over and patted me on the back. It felt good that I still had someone who cared about me. Elena seemed to have just forgotten our love like it was nothing and moved on. Well I could move on too. It seemed unlikely but I decided if I could see that she was happy that was all that mattered and I would move on. With that I went back to my room muttering a thanks to Sage and steeling my resolve on my new decision.

The next morning Elena woke up feeling happier than she had ever felt before. As she looked up at the face of the man she loved she felt a contentment fall over her and she moved closer to him. They stayed like that for another hour at which some point Damon had woken up. Eventually he broke the heavy silence by saying,

" I think we better get going or the others will worry about us." with that he hesitatingly pulled away and started to pull his clothes on. Taking one last second to admire him Elena then pulled herself out of bed and prepared for breakfast. As she went to close the door behind her as they were leaving, Damon pulled her into a big hug, kissed her on the cheek then whispered in her ear,

"I love you with all my heart." she pulled back looking a little stunned then seeing nothing but sincerity and love in his eyes whispered the words she had been longing to say for a while. "I love you too." then she buried her head in his chest.

As they were walking into the restaurant to have breakfast Stefan pulled Elena to the side. Damon looked as if he were about to fight him to make him let go but one look at him told Elena that she had nothing to fear. She turned to Damon and cupped his cheek with her hand and he softened under her touch. He still looked ready to attack however so Elena easily broke free of Stefan and cupped his other cheek until he was only looking at her. She said,

"Its okay, we just need a moment." he nodded his head once gently kissed her on the forehead and then strode off into the restaurant.

Elena looked back at Stefan but he wasn't looking at her. He stared at his shoes as if they were the most interesting thing in the world and said, "Do you love him?" she had not been expecting this and so it was a few seconds until she responded, "With all my heart." she was sure that if she could of seen his face it would have been filled with pain.

She put her hand on his shoulder and he drew it to him and whispered, "Are you happy with him? Are you sure he would never hurt you?" he looked as if he were pleading with her to pledge her undying love to him which made what she had to say next even more painful. She gave him a hug and said quietly but clearly in his ear, "I am really happy with him and I know he would never hurt me. He already proved that he would give his life for me in the dark dimension." he pulled away slightly and green met blue.

She was reminded of the contrast between the two brothers and realised that for a lot longer than she had been with Damon, that it had been black eyes she had been seeing every night before she went to sleep. When this realisation hit her she said to him with all honesty, "I will always love you but I have moved on and I hope that you can do the same." After she said this he moved forward very slowly and softly kissed her on the lips and she closed her eyes. It lasted a second and then he murmured, "I will never move on from you." When she opened her eyes again she saw the last glimpse of him as he moved and near to vampire speed out of the front doors. She stood there frozen in total shock and she remembered the cold lips and his words. What eventually thawed her out was a pair of warm arms wrapping themselves around her from the back. Every sorrow she felt eased as she looked into those black eyes that she loved, which were at the moment, filled with compassion. He led her to the table and she sat down. After a few silent minutes her thoughts began to arrange themselves and she asked the obvious question. "Is he coming back?" she directed this at Damon but Sage was the one that answered, "He will meet us in a couple of days at the witch's house." She nodded and realised that this was best for both of them. With a warm arm around her waist, lending her all the support she could need, she started to eat the food on the plate in front of her and turned her thoughts to the arrival in a few days time. Little did she know but Damon was also having thoughts about the whole reason for the trip.

**A/N: I know the end of that chapter was a bit Stefan/ Elena but I just wanted them on good terms and Stefan out of the picture so that Damon/ Elena's relationship can flourish. Please R&R with some ideas.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry that I haven't written in ages but school has been crazy. Well here it is, the last chapter **

The next few days after Stefan had left passed with no incidents. Elena had thought a lot about what he had said before he had left and the sentence, 'I will never move on from you,' lingered in her mind. She regretted the pain she had caused him but she had made her feelings clear and she hoped that these few days would be good for the both of them.

As the days went by she also found herself falling in love more and more with this kind, caring and human, Damon. He kept surprising her as she got to know him even better. He had given up his valued position as driver in order to sit next to Elena in the back seat and just hold her. When she asked him that night what had made him give it up he simply replied not quite looking her in the eye, "I know your hurting and I want to be there to comfort you." They went to sleep without saying another word.

Elena felt that those few days were like Heaven but the thought did loom over her, that soon the man she loved would disappear and she would be left with a cold, hard vampire.

Damon's POV

Tomorrow Morning we will arrive at the Witch's house. I haven't told Elena but I think she knows. She can sense the expectation in me and Sage and so has just been quiet and solemn. We both know why. Ever since we got together we have known that our time was limited and the purpose of our road trip was to make me a vampire and Stefan a human. Stefan has nothing to be human for anymore but I do. Elena needs a human so maybe if everything works out as it was originally planned then Stefan can be there for Elena.

Why does that thought tear me up inside? The thought that I might have to let her go. I am not sure that I could let her go in exchange for anything. This thought keeps going over and over in my head and I know I only have until tomorrow to decide.

We are in the car and Elena's head just slumped on to my shoulder so I wind my arm around her. I rest my head on top of her soft golden hair and breathe deeply. I know that she thinks there is no future with a vampire and so there can be no future for us after tomorrow. Or can there?

Elena's POV

We just arrive outside the witch's lair. Except that it's a two storey detached house in a suburb. There's a mailbox outside with the word Carter written in an elegant script. Its all to surreal after all the horrific things I've been imagining for the past few weeks. Damon looks at me with a slight smile on his lips that doesn't reach all the way to his eyes, "Her name is Emily Carter, did you think her name was just witch?" His half hearted attempt at teasing makes me smile a little too. We get out and Sage leads us to a run down black Ford and I see Stefan emerge from it. He gives Sage a handshake and then surprisingly gives Damon a handshake. He then turns to me and gives me a very light very brief hug. He then says to the group at large, "Are we ready?" Everyone in the group is still really shocked but Sage hides it well and says with compassion, "If this is still what you want." Stefan nods once then strides to the door. I start to find it hard to breathe but Damon tightens his hold on my waist and leads me forward. We are all stood on the porch and they seem to be waiting for something. That's when I notice there all looking at me and suddenly it hits me. They brought me here because I am so full of good magic so it had to be me asking the witch for a favour. I pluck up all my courage and walk forwards and ring the doorbell.

The doorbell was such an upbeat tune that it seemed out of place with how tense I was feeling. What made me feel even more bizarre was when I saw the woman who opened the door.

She looked to be in her mid forties and had her long brown hair with steaks of grey pulled back into a bun. She was wearing an apron and there was a light smattering of flour all over her. A gentle smile spread across her face as she looked at me and then it rapidly left her face as her eyes drifted to the three men stood behind me. A flame sparked in her eyes and she moved to slam the door in my face before I called out,

"Please just hear us out!"

She glanced at me and when she saw the pleading in my eyes she stopped closing the door. I felt relieved but that feeling plummeted when I heard the tone of her voice. "What do you things want?" she asked with severe vehemence. I took a deep breathe before plunging into my plea.

"Please Mrs Carter, I am begging you for your help, I'm in a desperate situation and I think that you are the only one that can help me." I stop to take a breathe and she drops her head into her hand and asks, without looking up,

" What do you need?"

I sigh in relief and carry on with my explanation, "Well the thing is that a good kitsune gave my…friend a flower to make him human but my… other friend turned human instead. We wondered if you could reverse the spell?"

She studied my face intently and it feels as if she is probing right into my mind. When the feeling starts to get too uncomfortable it is suddenly retracted as she stares away into the distance. I pull myself together again and realise that as she is a witch she probably was probing my mind. After several more minutes of silent contemplation she looks directly at me and she speaks as if I am the only one waiting on her front steps. "I cannot reverse the spell of another creature of good magic but I may be able to cast a new spell to turn that vampire into a human." I look around at him and he just looked stunned but finally manages to whisper out, "You would do that for an evil creature like me?" she looked at him properly for the first time and simply nodded before turning back into her house and motioning us to follow her. My heart leaps in joy but then I realise that she didn't say she could help Damon. However happy that made me I couldn't be filled with joy knowing that he would be upset. Ignoring these thoughts I walked into the witch's lair.

Stefan's POV

I followed Elena into the house, straight through a cosy little sitting room, into a little kitchen overlooking a large grassy garden. Mrs Carter is rummaging in some cupboards and preparing some in a small glass bottle. I feel really hopeful that she can make me human. Take me away from this evil monster I allowed myself to turn into. I look at Elena who is shuffling her feet and occasionally glancing at Damon. I know I only wanted this so I could be with her but now I can't have her I still don't want to stay this way.

Mrs Carter starts to suddenly walk over to me with a small container of thick red liquid. I can smell that its not blood but I still cringe slightly as she draws closer. She has a small smile playing around the edges of her lips as she says,

"Drink this and you'll be human."

I look at her for only a moment before gently taking the bottle. I down it in one. At once I feel a warmth spreading through me and giving me a prickling feeling. The light in the room seemed to be getting brighter and brighter until I fell into darkness.

Elena's POV

Stefan drank the potion all at once then put it down on the table. He looked slightly disorientated and I started to worry and then all of a sudden his chair slid back and he fell on the floor. I went to go to him but Sage held onto my arm. I turned in a fury determined to get to Stefan but all Sage said was, "Look."

I turned back and saw Stefan covered in a bright, white light. It started to recede a little and I saw that Stefan had a smile on his face and that his eyes were starting to open. He stood up as if nothing had just happened and said, "I've been given a second chance."

"The magic has worked, I can do nothing for your other friend young angel. If he truly wishes to give away his humanity then he must become a vampire again in the normal way." Mrs Carter said to me. After a few seconds when some of the shock had worn off I replied, "Thank you very much for all you have done. You've shown us all a great kindness." She gave us a warm smile and we moved towards the door. She gave us another warm smile before we left and then closed the door behind her. Stefan and Sage started to move ahead of us so I slowed down and looked up into the brooding face that I loved so much. He met my eyes, stopped and turned to face me and I did the same. We stood looking into each others eyes for what seemed like hours but must have just been a few minutes. He finally whispered so softly, "I love you with all my heart and if you'll have me, I want to be human with you." At the end of his declaration he looked down as if he was scared of what the answer might be. I gently lifted his head with my fingertips until blue met black. I drew him close to me and cupped his face with my hands before leaning in and whispering in his ear, "Always."

**A/N : I hope you enjoyed reading. Thank you to everyone who reviewed.**


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